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Vinceti G, Carbone C, Gallingani C, Fiondella L, Salemme S, Zucchi E, Martinelli I, Gianferrari G, Tondelli M, Mandrioli J, Chiari A, Zamboni G. The association between lifelong personality and clinical phenotype in the FTD-ALS spectrum. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1248622. [PMID: 37859765 PMCID: PMC10582748 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1248622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are two phenotypes of the same neurodegenerative disease, the FTD-ALS spectrum. What determines the development of one rather than the other phenotype is still unknown. Based on the clinical observation that patients' personality seems to differ between the two phenotypes, i.e., ALS patients tend to display kind, prosocial behaviors whereas FTD patients tend to present anti-social behaviors, and that these traits are often reported as pre-existing the disease onset by caregivers, we set up to study experimentally patients' personality in their premorbid life. Methods We first tested for differences between groups, then tested the association between premorbid personality and current functional organization of the brain. Premorbid personality of a cohort of forty patients, 27 FTD and 13 ALS, was explored through the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO-PI-3), which analyses the five main personality factors, completed by the caregiver with reference to patient's personality 20 years before symptoms onset (premorbid). A subgroup of patients underwent a brain MRI including structural and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI). Results A significant difference between FTD and ALS in premorbid personality emerged in the Openness (133.92 FTD vs. 149.84 ALS, p = 0.01) and Extraversion (136.55 FTD vs. 150.53 ALS, p = 0.04) factors. This suggests that ALS patients had been, in their premorbid life, more open to new experiences, more sociable and optimistic than FTD patients. They also showed greater functional connectivity than both FTD and a control group in the Salience resting state network, over and above differences in gray matter atrophy. Finally, there was a positive correlation between premorbid Openness and functional connectivity in the Salience network across all patients, suggesting a possible association between premorbid personality and current functional organization of the brain, irrespective of the degree of atrophy. Discussion Our proof-of-concept results suggest that premorbid personality may eventually predispose to the development of one, rather than the other, phenotype in the FTD-ALS spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Vinceti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Carbone
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Gallingani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi Fiondella
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Simone Salemme
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zucchi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Ilaria Martinelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Gianferrari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Manuela Tondelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Primary Care, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Annalisa Chiari
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Zamboni
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Civile Baggiovara, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
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Parkin Kullmann JA, Hayes S, Pamphlett R. Are people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) particularly nice? An international online case-control study of the Big Five personality factors. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01119. [PMID: 30239176 PMCID: PMC6192405 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many people with ALS have been suggested to have a "nice" personality, but most ALS personality studies to date have had limited numbers of participants and have not taken into account personality differences between genders. We used Big Five Inventory data obtained from an online questionnaire looking for risk factors for ALS to investigate personality traits in large numbers of people with ALS and controls. METHODS A total of 741 questionnaire respondents aged 40 years and over indicated the extent to which they agreed with each of the 44 Big Five Inventory statements. Respondents were 339 with ALS (212 male, 127 female) who responded to the statements as they applied to them before their diagnosis and 402 controls (120 male, 282 female). Unpaired t tests with 95% confidence intervals were used to compare mean values of Big Five-factor scores. RESULTS Female respondents taken together had higher mean scores for Agreeableness and Neuroticism than all male respondents. Male ALS respondents had higher mean scores than male controls for Conscientiousness and Extraversion. Female ALS respondents had higher mean scores than female controls for Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion, and a lower score for Neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS Many people with ALS have personality traits that are likely to underlie the perception they are particularly "nice." This raises the possibility that genetic polymorphisms that influence personality could play a role in ALS. Furthermore, different personality traits could underlie lifestyle choices that are currently thought to be risk factors for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane A Parkin Kullmann
- The Stacey Motor Neuron Disease Laboratory, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susan Hayes
- Forensic Psychology, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roger Pamphlett
- The Stacey Motor Neuron Disease Laboratory, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Poletti B, Carelli L, Lafronza A, Solca F, Faini A, Ciammola A, Grobberio M, Raimondi V, Pezzati R, Ardito RB, Silani V. Cognitive-constructivist Approach in Medical Settings: The Use of Personal Meaning Questionnaire for Neurological Patients' Personality Investigation. Front Psychol 2017; 8:582. [PMID: 28443057 PMCID: PMC5387101 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: The cognitive-constructivist psychotherapy approach considers the self as a continuous regulation process between present and past experience, in which attributions of meaning is characterized by the use of internal rules. In this conception, everyone would be driven by a specific inner coherence called Personal Meaning Organization (PMO). Such approach has never been applied to neurological patients by means of ad hoc developed tools. We performed an explorative study aimed to characterize personality styles in different neurological conditions within the theoretical framework of cognitive-constructivist model. Materials and Methods: Three groups of neurological patients (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Primary Headache) and a sample of healthy participants, each composed by 15 participants, for a total of 60 participants, were recruited. The Personal Meaning Questionnaire (PMQ), an Italian questionnaire assessing PMOs construct, and other clinical tools for psychological and quality of life assessment were administered to all subjects. Results: The main finding concerned the detection, across all clinical conditions, of a higher prevalence of phobic personality style, with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis showing a relevant prevalence of such PMO with respect to all other neurological conditions and controls. However, with respect to controls, in all clinical conditions, PMQ highlighted a tendency, even if not statistically significant, to codify experience by means of specific cognitive and emotional patterns. Conclusion: Our findings represent the first contribution towards understanding the personality profiles of patients affected by neurological conditions according to cognitive-constructivist theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Laura Carelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Andrea Faini
- Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy
| | - Monica Grobberio
- Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology - ASST LarianaComo, Italy
| | - Vanessa Raimondi
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Psychology Services, ASST CremaCrema, Italy
| | - Rita Pezzati
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern SwitzerlandManno, Switzerland.,Centro Terapia CognitivaComo, Italy
| | - Rita B Ardito
- Center for Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology, University of TurinTurin, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico ItalianoMilan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation and "Dino Ferrari" Center, University of Milan Medical SchoolMilan, Italy
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Mehl T, Jordan B, Zierz S. "Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are usually nice persons"-How physicians experienced in ALS see the personality characteristics of their patients. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00599. [PMID: 28127517 PMCID: PMC5256182 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Physicians experienced in the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) occasionally describe these patients as "nice" persons. METHODS ALS experienced physicians (n = 36) were asked to assess the personality characteristics of ALS patients using a multidimensional personality questionnaire based on the five-factor model of personality. Control groups consisted of physicians experienced in Myasthenia gravis (MG) (n = 21) and lung cancer (LC) (n = 36). RESULTS In the dimension Agreeableness ALS patients were rated significantly higher than the other groups (p < .001). This was mainly due to the high scores for converse adjective pairs "stubborn-compliant" and "selfish-helpful". DISCUSSION The dimension Agreeableness is very similar to "niceness". Results support the anecdotal description of ALS patients as "nice" persons. Personality characteristics of ALS patients differentiate them from other patient groups. It remains open whether the "nice" personality structure is linked to the susceptibility to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Mehl
- Department of Neurology Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Berit Jordan
- Department of Neurology Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Stephan Zierz
- Department of Neurology Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg Halle/Saale Germany
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Executive dysfunction predicts social cognition impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2015; 262:1681-90. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-015-7761-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
The progression of motor neurone disease (MND) is currently irreversible, and the grave implications of diagnosis naturally fuels concern among neurologists over missing a potential mimic disorder. There is no diagnostic test for MND but in reality there are few plausible mimics in routine clinical practice. In the presence of a progressive pure motor disorder, signs such as florid fasciculations, bilateral tongue wasting, the ‘split hand’, head drop, emotionality, and cognitive or behavioural impairment carry high positive predictive value. MND is clinically heterogeneous, however, with some important chameleon-like presentations and considerable variation in clinical course. Lack of confidence about the scope of such variation, or an approach to diagnosis emphasising investigations over clinical common sense, has the potential to exacerbate diagnostic delay in MND and impede timely planning of the care which is essential to maximising quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Turner
- University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford, UK.
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Goldstein LH, Abrahams S. Changes in cognition and behaviour in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: nature of impairment and implications for assessment. Lancet Neurol 2013; 12:368-80. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Marconi A, Meloni G, Fossati F, Lunetta C, Bastianello S, Melazzini M, Banfi P, Rossi G, Corbo M. Aggressiveness, sexuality, and obsessiveness in late stages of ALS patients and their effects on caregivers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 13:452-8. [DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2012.696658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Emotional adjustment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). J Neurol 2011; 259:334-41. [PMID: 21808983 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-011-6191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Revised: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite the devastating motor impairment, a significant number of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) maintain a good psychosocial adjustment. Here we investigated whether this is specific for ALS or a more general characteristic of terminal disease. Psychosocial adjustment was investigated in 30 ALS patients, 29 cancer patients in palliative treatment and 29 age-, gender- and level of education-matched healthy controls. Subjective quality of life (sQoL), degree of depressive symptoms and coping were evaluated as measures of psychosocial adjustment. Personality factors were described. ALS and cancer patients showed a good psychosocial adjustment. Subjective QoL and depression did not differ significantly. Both patient groups presented a good sQoL. The level of mild depressive symptoms in both patient groups was similar and none showed clinically relevant depression. ALS patients expressed fewer active coping strategies than cancer patients which were explained by gender differences. Both patient groups showed comparable psychosocial adjustment to their disease. Overall, in terminally ill patients the psychological response to the prognosis is not associated with neurobiological changes (e.g., associated with subclinical deficits in ALS) or with physical decline.
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disorder characterized by degeneration of motor neurons. Given the severe nature of ALS, many believed that patients would suffer from a high level of depression and a low quality of life. However, research into the psychological health of patients with ALS has shown that this is not the case. This article reviews the state of current knowledge as it pertains to the psychological health of ALS patients in four broad areas: quality of life, personality characteristics, emotional reactions, and end-of-life choices.
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Krampe H, Bartels C, Victorson D, Enders CK, Beaumont J, Cella D, Ehrenreich H. The influence of personality factors on disease progression and health-related quality of life in people with ALS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 9:99-107. [PMID: 18428002 DOI: 10.1080/17482960701875805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to perform a prospective long-term follow-up of health-related quality of life (QOL) in ALS and to investigate the relationship of personality factors with changes in QOL and disease progression. Data on QOL were collected prospectively for 12 months from 31 ALS patients. Personality factors were studied using the NEO-FFI (NEO Five Factor Inventory). Monthly self-ratings of global QOL, and seven health-related QOL functions, as well as ALSFRS (ALS Functional Rating Scale) scores were analyzed using a linear mixed model approach. QOL and ALSFRS scores decreased during follow-up. Patients who scored higher on the agreeableness personality dimension, despite similar total duration of disease, had higher QOL at the beginning of the follow-up period but the reduction of QOL over time was significantly steeper than in patients who scored lower on agreeableness, associated with faster disease progression. These findings suggest that being less agreeable might serve as a protective factor with respect to QOL and disease progression in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Krampe
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany.
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Wicks P, Abrahams S, Masi D, Hejda-Forde S, Leigh PN, Goldstein LH. Prevalence of depression in a 12-month consecutive sample of patients with ALS. Eur J Neurol 2007; 14:993-1001. [PMID: 17718691 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2007.01843.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is an impression both in clinical practice and in research literature that patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) possess 'heroic stoicism with a low frequency of depression'. Reliance on specific interview methods may have contributed to differing estimates of mood disorder in people with ALS. The objective of the current study was to compare prevalence rates of depression and anxiety in ALS using different assessment tools. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were sent to a 12-month consecutive sample of 190 patients with ALS attending a tertiary referral clinic in the UK. Data were collected from 104 patients with ALS. Using BDI scores, 44% were categorized as not depressed, 37% were mild-moderately depressed, 13% were moderately-severely depressed, and 6% were severely depressed. In contrast, the HADS depression subscale identified 75% as not depressed, 13% were in the borderline range, and 13% were categorized as meeting 'caseness' for depression. Twenty-five percent of the patients were using antidepressant medication. The estimated prevalence of mood disorder amongst patients with ALS may vary significantly depending on the measure used.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Wicks
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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